155 replies to this topic

[MeOmYo]

Is that from someone you know Dan or just off the interwebs? Awful light out for 10:50 pm.

[Deadshow Dan]

Is that from someone you know Dan or just off the interwebs? Awful light out for 10:50 pm.

Interwebs. Specifically bookface.

Here's the link

[MeOmYo]

Cool! that's a hella big cat. much larger than ones I've seen.

[TEO]

What a cat! Note, the cat did not take down the deer. That is a dead deer that was positioned there to check the coyote population according to the FB discussion.

[stylzing]

Bobcat.

B'ig Doe down here todAY:heart: tHANKS AND pRAISES .. gave me a fright.. no blood and then rain..came back home after two hrs with desapair... got my head together and thought of th e wind and where she would go.. followed a hogback down to the gorge and walkeed right up to her.. Skylar my teen diva even came out to help drag him up

[Deadshow Dan]

congrats

[Baidarka]

Last year was my first time out in >25 years. I hunted on 140 acres west of Syracuse. I passed on a couple of does. Part was my confidence. I broke out the old 870 with a slug barrel. When I went to run a few slugs through it, I couldn't see the iron sights. I needed reading glasses to "bi-focal" the target.

This year I upgraded. I bought a .50 cal CVA Optima stainless, black powder muzzleloader. I topped it with a 1x red reticle tactical scope. Glowing red crosshairs focused at infinity. I've tried the Powerbelt rounds that come with it and Hornady XP (.44 - 240gr) sabots. I settled on Hornady 300 gr FPBs with two pellets of powder. I can get less than 1.5" group at 60 yds. Not quite "primitive arms" but if they allow it southern zone, I'll use it.

I'm ready for Saturday. Next year I may take the show on the road and hit the early muzzle season up north.

Today I put 5 rounds through the gun and walked some of the foot trails with a leaf blower to help quiet access to my stand.

One of my buddies and an old-timer bowhunt on the same property. They'll have a scouting report for me. I can't wait for a couple of backstraps on the Weber and a load of protein in the freezer.

[unbroken_chain]

[stylzing]

Last year was my first time out in >25 years. I hunted on 140 acres west of Syracuse. I passed on a couple of does. Part was my confidence. I broke out the old 870 with a slug barrel. When I went to run a few slugs through it, I couldn't see the iron sights. I needed reading glasses to "bi-focal" the target.

This year I upgraded. I bought a .50 cal CVA Optima stainless, black powder muzzleloader. I topped it with a 1x red reticle tactical scope. Glowing red crosshairs focused at infinity. I've tried the Powerbelt rounds that come with it and Hornady XP (.44 - 240gr) sabots. I settled on Hornady 300 gr FPBs with two pellets of powder. I can get less than 1.5" group at 60 yds. Not quite "primitive arms" but if they allow it southern zone, I'll use it.

I'm ready for Saturday. Next year I may take the show on the road and hit the early muzzle season up north.

Today I put 5 rounds through the gun and walked some of the foot trails with a leaf blower to help quiet access to my stand.

One of my buddies and an old-timer bowhunt on the same property. They'll have a scouting report for me. I can't wait for a couple of backstraps on the Weber and a load of protein in the freezer.

Enjoy.. can't wait to upgrade to new " Muzzleloader" getting my mossberg 500 back today.. the safety would get stuck..and maybe picking up a single shot savage since we are riflr country now..

[MeOmYo]

Bobcat.

B'ig Doe down here todAY:heart: tHANKS AND pRAISES .. gave me a fright.. no blood and then rain..came back home after two hrs with desapair... got my head together and thought of th e wind and where she would go.. followed a hogback down to the gorge and walkeed right up to her.. Skylar my teen diva even came out to help drag him up

Congrats!

[beerzrkr]

I thought my season was over Saturday night. When I got back to my car my license and tags where not in the holder. I searched all night and couldn

[TEO]

[Baidarka]

I have a DMP for 7J. I'm not planning on hunting there. Any of you interested in it if I can't swap it for a 7F in the next week or so?

[Shake Yer Bones]

[quote name='stylzing']Bobcat.

B'ig Doe down here todAY:heart: tHANKS AND pRAISES .. gave me a fright.. no blood and then rain..came back home after two hrs with desapair... got my head together and thought of th e wind and where she would go.. followed a hogback down to the gorge and walkeed right up to her.. Skylar my teen diva even came out to help drag him up[/QUOTE]

Very nice. Congrats. I broke down and bought a climber stand even though I'm not a fan. They're so much work! But I'm getting tired of seeing plenty from the ground and having my scent picked up before I can shoot. It's a higher elevation here and the wind has been tough to adjust to.

[quote name='Baidarka']... This year I upgraded. I bought a .50 cal CVA Optima stainless, black powder muzzleloader. I topped it with a 1x red reticle tactical scope. Glowing red crosshairs focused at infinity. I've tried the Powerbelt rounds that come with it and Hornady XP (.44 - 240gr) sabots. I settled on Hornady 300 gr FPBs with two pellets of powder. I can get less than 1.5" group at 60 yds. Not quite "primitive arms" but if they allow it southern zone, I'll use it. ...[/QUOTE]

Awesome. I joined the muzzleloader scene last season and it was fantastic. I got a Knight TK85. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done at 37 yards. Did it ever.

[quote name='beerzrkr']I thought my season was over Saturday night. When I got back to my car my license and tags where not in the holder. I searched all night and couldn

[MeOmYo]

Very nice. Congrats. I broke down and bought a climber stand even though I'm not a fan. They're so much work! But I'm getting tired of seeing plenty from the ground and having my scent picked up before I can shoot. It's a higher elevation here and the wind has been tough to adjust to.

What kind did you get? I bought a Lone Wolf last year and love it. I've struggled for a few years hunting a patch of hardwoods that is all grown in with briars. After fighting my way in through the briars, it's basically unhuntable from the ground beacuse of how tall and thick they are but there are a lot of deer that move through there. I wasn't in it 2 hours last year and took 3 deer from it. spike horn, BIG 8 pointer and a big doe.

Do you use doe in estrus on the ground while in a tree stand?

[Shake Yer Bones]

I got a Comfort Zone Stealth, pretty much the in-house brand for Dick's. $100. Haven't used it but once and it was a royal pain but that one time I used it I wasn't in the stand more than 5 minutes when I turned around to spot a fat 6-pointer at 20 yards. I didn't have time to turn around with the bow before it ran off, and I think the rut had something to do with that too. I was just out practicing (not quietly), and I was upwind with some pretty strong gusts. So for him to get that close tells me he wasn't in his right mind.

I used estrus yesterday near my ladder stand and drew in what looked to be a trophy 8, but he was too far away and had something else on his mind. He trotted through and didn't stop for anything. Man, that stuff stinks!

[MeOmYo]

bucks are thick in the rut here. should be a lot of movement Saturday if it's not too warm.

[Shake Yer Bones]

The freakin' weather's been pissing me off. Way too warm here. It'll get cold for a day or two, then warm back up. I don't think it's been below 35 but for a hunt or two.

We just moved into this house in January, so this is the first deer season I've actually lived here. We're pretty rural and I love it, but it's been sounding like a war zone the last week or so. Especially last weekend as lots of fellas sight in their guns.

[Shake Yer Bones]

Good luck to gun hunters as the gun season opens tomorrow. Wish I'd gotten up this morning for a bow hunt ... it's in the 20s and we have an inch or two of snow on the ground. I'll head out this evening for one final chance with the bow. It's supposed to stay colder today and it looks like the snow will stay. But it'll be gone tomorrow with temps forecast into the 50s.

Be safe on Saturday.

[beerzrkr]

I have one more week with the bow, then it's time to break out the bang stick

[MeOmYo]

I have one more week with the bow, then it's time to break out the bang stick

Good luck

I used estrus yesterday near my ladder stand and drew in what looked to be a trophy 8, but he was too far away and had something else on his mind. He trotted through and didn't stop for anything. Man, that stuff stinks!

It's kind a nasty but I keep an old sock rag in my vest all season with a bottle of estrus. When I sit, I put a little on the rag and tie it to a limb near where I sit. In a tree stand it goes in a limb near the ground. Put it back in the vest when I leave so it's with me all the time. It does stink.

good luck tomorrow

[Baidarka]

I got mine at 7:50 am. My first deer. I was in my stand and I knew the deer hung out near the manure pile by the barn. I called my buddy JP around 7:30 and asked him to take a walk out to the pile. This guy came up to my stand sniffing a little doe estrus. 40 yards broadside. He's skinned and hanging with three bags of ice in him.

[Shake Yer Bones]

Very nice. Congrats! You never forget your first.

Frustrating day on my end. Was out early, took a mid-morning break and went back out until 3 or so. Didn't see a damned thing.

[beerzrkr]

Spooked 4 doe beded down by the road as I walked in today. Saw nothing after that except for a fox that came over and pissed on my tree. Took. Every thing I had not to stick him to the ground.

[MeOmYo]

Saw 5 doe and a spike horn yesterday. Wind is going everywhere. Same spike today and a little one that was with mama yesterday. I don't like seeing little ones without mama. Saw a nice 8 today but in a bunch of brushy shit so I held off. Shoulda let the 308s fly but oh well.

[Shake Yer Bones]

With the warm and windy weather, I slept in. Brother-in-law went out and called around noon, saying he'd dropped a 7-pointer. So I went out and helped. It was in some pretty gnarly brush, so we kicked it old-school and got a downed branch, tied the legs to the branch and shouldered it out to the Jeep. Heavy work, but it beat dragging the buck through the brush.

I'll be back out tomorrow, hopefully to get one for me.

[Baidarka]

Just took a section of backstrap off the Weber. Nothing but charcoal and the goodness of that deer. Went out this afternoon and saw a real nice buck and had two does cross walk out into the trail not 25 feet from me. One was small, and the other looked to be just the right size...but I couldn't move without sending them flying away. The bigger must have gotten a whiff of me (our school was at an indoor soccer arena today and I played hard before cutting out a little early for the woods) the flag went up, she took about a 6 ft vertical bound and the two disappeard. At least it will bea a quieter walk in the woods tomorrow am after this rain.

[stylzing]

thats what I was thinking and hoping our scent from romping around will be gone a little too..lots of new deer in the I hope pushed down the hill this past week..

[beerzrkr]

I hit a branch today and missed a nice doe. Saw 2 buck shooters walk by but I can't touch them till monday when the bang stick season opens.

I saw so many deer today that I didn't have a window to stick'm through it's crazy! I need a drink!

After it blew through the branch it smacked a rock. Maulled my muzzy, cracked my arrow, & lost the nock. Nothing like a $22 miss.

[stylzing]

past three days I ve been watching em walk past the stand I m not in and tonight was a "no window" thing for me too.. been seeing bucks out at noon again

[Baidarka]

It was slow and quiet this morning. I did see a real nice buck...walk out of the brush almost on top of me, Around 9 o'clock I took a round-about walk from a stand near my opening day buck up to our yurt and then to meet up with my buddy, Doc. He suggested I find a seat along the trail near our turf field south of us while he broke through the thick stuff to see what he could flush out. I stopped about 20 yards shy of the field where a little rise gave me a better view down the trail. When I first heard him and turned my head., I was hoping to fill my doe tag. He walked out between me and the field, behind me and raised at least 7 points. I could't move with out sending him, couldn't have shot him either. If I had gone all the way to the field he would have been 15 feet away. As it was, he sauntered across the trail, turned looked at me for 20-30 seconds...until I made eye contact...oops...and he walked away...not spooked, just with a purpose...right under the neighbor's vacant stand. Luck buck 2x over.

[Shake Yer Bones]

Pretty frustrated here; starting to think I am overhunting my land. The only thing I've seen in more than a week is the buck I kicked up at the top of a hedgerow, but no way am I skylining a shot. Took a break today (Sunday) and will for the rest of the week, at least on my land. May try some state land mid-week so I can avoid the weekend yahoos.

Anyone have any thoughts on this warm weather? It was nigh 65 degrees today and 60 on Friday and Saturday. They're just not moving like they were a few weeks ago. I figure gun season will change patterns, but I'm frustrated by not being able to figure out the new patterns. I see prints and sign everywhere. I even have a new scrape and rub in my backyard, not more than 30 yards from my deck. But I just can't seem to see anything, at dawn or dusk. Here's hoping it gets cold soon, and stays cold. But I'd love to hear thoughts on what this warm weather may be doing for deer movement. Or if I'm just a bad hunter this year.

[stylzing]

i am big dis believer that warm weather stops em moving..first off during the rut..its does in esterus that are making bucks move and in turn move more deer.. if I only had the chance to get laid once a year 60 degrees ain't stopping me. i think warm weather is associated with different winds, mainly southern and you need to account for that..lots of folks have more sucess with norhtern wind cause stands/blinds are set for that,.. during bown I see many deer buck and doe walking croos wind or even wind at back.. with gun they are always moving w the wind in daylight.. bastards go way nocturnal this time of year I think w the pressure in the woods..gotta be a sanctuary nearby..private land w no permission to hunt that they hole up on.. heard the annual 12 rd blast down the gorge this year..idiots try ing to flush deer with a barage of shots down in..I got a button buck yesterday to fill a doe tag..we then drove the neighbors land we feed w venison who only lets us hunt.. and I kicked half dozen doe out of there.. two more later out of my field I leave sit during bow and gun..
new scrape is great sign does are going into second heat..way better than second breakfast:wink: get some fresh esterus if you can
http://fritzdeerlure.com/ have had good results with dragging this stuff around.. keep the faith.. and enjoy no matter what

[MeOmYo]

It's been a bit off around here. Buddy got a nice 7 pointer on Wednesday and he pulled off a grocery bag full o' fat from him. This buck has not been running doe hard. I don't think the warm weather slows them down much IF the doe are in heat but I believe the warm weather screws with the doe's cycle. Also, where the doe are at can change in a relatively short distance so if the doe are not in heat here, doesn't mean they are not in heat say 25 miles west of here. Also, they've been getting shot at and chased around for a bit so thickets and swamps are where they'll head for cover.

I hunted Tuesday afternoon for a couple hours, Thursday until dark and Friday a group of 7 of us pushed about 500 acres and I took a nice sized solo doe. Was sick Saturday and went out for a couple hours. After a bit of sitting in a tree coughing, sneezing and my nose constantly running, I decided it was stupid and headed for the house. Out behind the house, there are about 120 acres of posted land that only me and my cousin hunt, so it's pretty unpressured. I've seen a lot of deer on it but hoping that holding out will bring in a nice buck. We'll see. The later it gets though, the more I'll group up with people and drive. Hoping a nice shot of snow and cold weather towards the end of the week will bring them back full swing into rut also.

[DancingBearly]

Inspiration

[stylzing]

drive em gently to my stand, some run, some cover, some fall:wink:

[unbroken_chain]

[insolent cur]

you guys know folks who use use semi-automatics to hunt? someone is out in the woods shooting a semi. it's 5:42 am.

[stylzing]

yes I do..theres shotguns w em.. and its legal.if it was later it could be goose hunters .but sunrise is not till 730 now..you can hunt coyotes all night too.. but prolly poachers w spot light

[stylzing]

here comes some weather:jump:

[Shake Yer Bones]

you guys know folks who use use semi-automatics to hunt? someone is out in the woods shooting a semi. it's 5:42 am.

The Remington 1100 I use is semi-automatic. But I don't use it at 5:42 a.m.! Like stylzing said, could be coyote hunters or poachers. Let's hope it's the former.

[MeOmYo]

you guys know folks who use use semi-automatics to hunt? someone is out in the woods shooting a semi. it's 5:42 am.

I hunt with a Winchester Model 100, which is an autoloader. It's basically an M1A action on hunting wood. I'm not drawn to the autoloader aspect but more about it's a carbine (so shorter), light, accurate and mostly, I got it cheap. I've taken quite a few deer with it and only remember one time shooting more than once

Remington is really pushing these AR style guns for hunting. The trouble with autoloaders has historically been consistency as the bolt/gas exchange was never really repeatable to the level that a large caliber is capable of. So, in a larger caliber like a .308, at 300 yds, maybe the best you could do was a 6" group. Where with a bolt action, maybe you could get a 1" group because the gas exchange is the same every time.

The newer style autoloaders are much much better at consistent gas exchange and therefore provide much better consistency. My gun is good for about 6" group at 300 yds. I know that though and wouldn't push it. Realistically, there are no 300 yd shots around here with more houses and fields disappearing to scrub lots and trees.

I think they're silly, but mostly because I relate those style guns to people killers. That was their original design intent.

here comes some weather:jump:

4"-6" of snow tonight here. I'm gonna take tomorrow off and hopefully get to actually hunt some deer.

[beerzrkr]

sunrise isn't till 7. Something shady is going on cur.

[Shake Yer Bones]

Shot twice at a buck on Wednesday but missed. Damn. Making it worse was hearing 2 or 3 shots just a few minutes later coming from the direction he ran when I shot. I guess I won't get another shot at that fella.

Question: How closely do you guys follow the sunset/sunrise rule? Do you push the limits? These days, sunrise is officially 7:30 or so and sunset is 4:30 or so, but there's clearly enough light before and after those times. Do you, or would you, still shoot?

[bizzle]

DEERHUNTER- Revival
[URL="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8b0fDIPP-u4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>"]<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8b0fDIPP-u4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/URL]

[MeOmYo]

Shot twice at a buck on Wednesday but missed. Damn. Making it worse was hearing 2 or 3 shots just a few minutes later coming from the direction he ran when I shot. I guess I won't get another shot at that fella.

Question: How closely do you guys follow the sunset/sunrise rule? Do you push the limits? These days, sunrise is officially 7:30 or so and sunset is 4:30 or so, but there's clearly enough light before and after those times. Do you, or would you, still shoot?

Man, sorry to hear about the buck.

I have and would, depending on where I'm at, weather and what type of shot. Anywhere but close to home = no, raining or snowing = no, obstructions in the shot = no.

Sunday I dropped a big doe at 4:50. I was behind the house in a field with no obstructions, broadside shot at 100 yds. Aimed for the neck and hit her right where I was aiming. She didn't even take a step. If I was anywhere else, I wouldn't have.

Tracking a wounded deer at night this time of year is one miserable experience.

Went out all day yesterday and froze my MF'n nuts off. Tracked in the morning and drove in the afternoon. Was thinking the snow would get them moving, but they were not. They were laid up in the pines & hemlocks. Heavy wet snow is hard to be quiet in and makes it hard to see as all the limbs and small trees/scrubs were bent over to the ground because of the weight.

I've been patient by passing up quite few small bucks. I'm going to try and stick to that but being the last weekend, it will be hard to pass on anything with horns.

[stylzing]

your own land.. way back in the gorge, under your stand in the moonlight at 7 am..one thing..problem is poachers tresspassers.. had the neighbors secoind weekend in a row crooss the posted neighbors land between us I only hasve permission to hunt while trailing a wounded doe.. first time we were home heard the shots and wnet out before they crosssed saw blood and gave em permission to get deer.. this time we were way back and in gorge when I knew I heard 6-8 shots again..of cousres we had some encounter /case with fleeing does on our property and I was stalking/pushing around to friend when I thought I heard talking on my radio in my pocket when I realized it was whispering voices on othersdie of hedge row.. I was on a trail shooting lane that has dog legg turn to it.. if a bedded down Deer had jumped my shooting lane they would have been down range 50 yds in orange but on seen cause of hedge row.. or if I was 5 minutes earlier I would of walked right up to the doe laying wounded in the open in my field.. I let them finish her..I ll finish this story later it gets better but heres sad news of a late shot
http://www.wwnytv.co...-135427388.html

[Baidarka]

8 degres this morning! It's the last day for muzzleloaders, but F that, I'm staying in bed. All I've been doing nothing the past few weekends but watching white tails disappear into the woods. Since I still have my ML tag, buck or doe, and a doe tag left I will go out this afternoon. If it's brown, it's down. I have passed a lot on the little guys, but I want a little more venison in our freezer. So far the meatballs, Ethiopian red pepper stew, chili, sliders, backstrap and 2kinds of jerky from my opening day buck have been delish.

Good luck for those of you heading out for the rest of the season.

[insolent cur]

11 here. the curs spent little time outside first thing.

[Baidarka]

Done.

At 4:20ish this evening, as I waited for the last few ticks of the clock before sundown I heard the distinct tempo for four, no wait...eight legs moving through the leaves. I slowly turned to see Tusa the big chocolate lab and Winston (the bearded collie) belonging to JP out for a run with his youngest daughter, Julie. Needless to say, it was brown, but not down.

Well, that's it for this year. Now I can finally sleep past 5:30 on the weekends.

/bites into a piece of maple and black pepper venison jerky and smiles, contented.